Circular-knitting machine.



No. 876,283. PATENTED JANL'I, 1908. J. B. PAXTON & E. I. ONEILL.

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 15. 1906.

3 SHBETSSHEET 1.

WITNESSES; INVENTOR$ uofi/vg flxro/v WITNESSES;

PATENTED JAN- 7; 1908. J. B. PAXTON & E. I. O'NEILL.

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION IILBDJAN. 15, 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

No. 876,288. PATENTED JAN-'7, 1908.- J. B. PAXTON & E. Iv ONEILL. CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.15, 1906.

S SHEETSSHEBT 3.

WlTN ESSESi INVENTORS ./0///v gPAXm/v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN B. PAXTON AND ELLIS I. ONEILL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CIRCULAR-KNITTING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 7', 1908.

Original application filed September 30.- 1903. Serial No- 175244. Divided and this application filed January 15, 1906- Serial No. 296.075. 1

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, J OHN B. PAXTON and ELLIS I. ONEILL, both of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Circular-Knitting Machines, whereof the following is a specification, reference being had to the accom anying drawings.

T. 's application is a divisional case with respect to Letters Patent of the United States granted to us, No. 811,577, dated February 6th, 1906, for circular knitting machines.

Our invention relates to switch up mechanism arranged to shift the half back needles out of operation, and has for its object means whereby a predetermined series of the whole circle of needles may be shifted, without leaving any needles in intermediate position.

Our invention comprises a switch up cam, means arranged to maintain said cam in operative position, a sorting cam arranged to shift into idle level the needles left in intermediate position, by said switch. up cam, and a lever terminating, at diametrically opposite sides of the cam cylinder, and comprising cams on its opposite ends arranged to respectively set said switch up cam at one side of the machine and release it at the other side after making approximately a hall turn.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure I, is a plan view of the cam cylinder and bed plate of a knitting machine conveniently embodying our improvements. Fig. II, is an interior development, on a plane, of the cam cylinder. Fig. III, is a vertical transverse section through the wall of the cam cylinder taken on the line III, III, in Fig. I. Fig. IV, is a vertical transverse section through the wall of the cam cylinder taken on the line IV, IV, in Fig. I. Fig. V, is a fragmentary exterior elevation of the cam cylinder showing the switch up cam in its in operative position. Fig. VI, is a fragmentary exterior elevation of the cam cylinder showing the switch up cam in its operative position. Fig. VII, is an elevational view of the mechanism arranged to trip the switch up cam. Fig. VIII, is an elevational view of the mechanism arranged to set the switch up cam. Fig. IX, is a vertical transverse section taken on the line IX, IX, in Fig. VII. Fig. X, is a vertical transverse section taken on the line X, X, in Fig. VIII.

In said figures,-1, is the bed plate arranged to rotatably support the cam cylinder 2, comprising the usual needle ledge 3, which is interrupted by the stitch cams 1, and 5, top and bottom center cams 6, and 7, respectively, and the switch up cam 10. The switch up cam 1.0, may be used in conjunction with any appropriate form of switch down cam 11, such, for instance, as shown in Fig. I, which is substantially the same as that before shown and 'described in previous patents granted to us. Said cam 10, is secured to the inwardly extending projection 12, of the rocker arm 13, which is pivoted upon an axis substantially radial to the axis of the cam cylinder 2, in the frame 15, mounted upon the laterally extending flange 16, of said cylinder. The upper surface 18, of the cam 10, presents a straight cam inclined surface terminating near the top with the short beveled surface 20, best shown in Fig. II.

A coiled spring 21, best shown in Figs. V, and VI, tends normally to depress the rocker arm 13, to its lowermost or inoperative position, as shown .in Figs. II, and V, inwhich position the switch cam 10, is below the level of the needle ledge 53, so that the butts of the needles pass over it without engagement.

The trigger 2S, pivoted intermediate of its length on the cam cylinder 2, above the free end of the arm 13, and provided at its lower end with the hook 29, is arranged tobe normally shifted by the coil spring 30, (shown in Fig. III), to engage the switch cam 10, by said hook 2t), and maintain it in its uppermost or operathe position, best shown in Fig. VI.

The setting and releasing of the switch up cam ill), is conveniently e'll'ected by a semicircular lever 32, pivoted centrally to the bed plate 1., and comprising arms 33, and 34, which extend oppositely around the cam cylinder 2, and terminate at diametrical opposite sides thereof as illustrated in Fig. I. The arm 33, carries the cam plate 35, adjustably secured thereto by set screws 36, extending through slots 37, in said plate as best shown in Figs. VIII, and X, and the arm 34, carries a frame 38, adjustably secured thereto by the set screws 40, extending through slots 41, in said plate as best shown in Figs. VII, and IX, and said plate comprises the upwardly extending post 42, on which the inwardly extending arm 43, is adjustably secured by the set screw 44, and comprises the cam 45, and

recess 46, adjacent thereto. When the lever 82, is shifted to its operative position shown in full lines in Fig. I, the outwardly extending projection 14, on the arm 13, engages the inclined cam surface 48, on the cam plate 35, and is uplifted sufficiently to permit the hook 29, of the trigger to engage the switch up cam 10, and maintain it in position to raise the needles by engagement of their butts with the inclined surface 18, as shown in Fig. VI, until approximately a half rotation of the cylinder is made, when the cam 45, engages the upwardly projecting boss 47, on the outwardly extending arm 48, of the trigger 28, and rocks said trigger sufficiently to disengage its hook 29, from beneath the switch up cam raised.

10, and permits its return to inoperative position shown in Fig. V, by effect of its spring 21. The adjustment of the cams 35, and 45, enables the operator to accurately time the setting and releasing of the switch up cam 10, thus determining the precise point in the series of needles where the raising of the half back needles shall begin and terminate.

With the switch up cam herein described as with all other forms of cams adapted for this purpose, it is of the utmost importance that neither when it is thrown into operation nor when it is thrown out ,of operation, shall it leave any needles in a position intermediate of the extreme planes of its action, for the reason that needles in such position are liable by the further rotation of the machine to be carried against the points of fixed cams which occur in other parts of the cam cylinder. By reason of the rapidity with which the switch up cam 10, is raised by the cam incline 48, and the accuracy with which this cam incline may be adjusted, its raising does not result in any needles being left partially It is evident, however, that when said cam 10, is depressed there must be a series of needles occupying in an inclined direction, various intermediate positions. In order therefore, to prevent accidents such as above described, we supplement the action of the switch up cam 10, by that of a yielding sorting cam 50, placed in juxtaposition to said switch up cam.

The sorting cam 50, shown in Figs. I, II, IV, V, and VI, is adjustably secured to the free end of the rocker arm 51, pivoted in the frame 15, on an axis substantially radial to the axis of the cam cylinder, and normally shifted to the position shown in the figures towards the switch up cam 10, by the coiled spring 52. Said cam 50, extends from the free end of the rocker arm 51, through an opening in the cam cylinder 2, to the plane of the needle butts and comprises a triangular contour which is set with its apex towards the switch up cam 10. There is also affixed to the interior of the cam cylinder immediately following said sorting cam 50, a fixed cam 55, with its apex similarly directed and about on a level with that of the yielding sorting cam 50. By the action of these two cams any needles which the switch up cam 10, may

leave in an intermediate position, are sorted and thrown either completely up or completely down by the oppositely divergent cam inclines of the cam 55. This is insured by the yielding nature of cam 50, from which it results that if any needle butt is left by the switch up cam at such a level that it runs directly against the apex of the sorting cam 50, the arm 51, yields upon its pivot against the tension of the spring 52, and as it yields, sufficiently raises the apex of the cam 50, to cause it to clear the needle butt in ques tion which is thereupon thrown down by. the lower cam surface of the cam.

Having thus described our invention, we claim 1. In a circular knitting machine, a switch up cam for the half back needles; an arm radially pivoted on the exterior of the cam cylinder and having a projection carrying said cam extending into the plane of the needle butts through an aperture in the wall of the cam cylinder; means whereby said switch up cam may be raised above or thrown below the needle ledge; a second arm pivoted below the needle ledge; and a sorting cam mounted upon said second arm.

2. In a circular knitting machine, a switch up cam for the half back needles; an arm radially pivoted on the exterior of the cam cylinder and having a projection carrying said cam extending into the plane of the needle butts through an aperture in the Wall of the cam cylinder; means whereby said switch up cam may be raised against spring pressure above the level of the needle ledge; a swinging trigger by which when so raised said cam is caught and maintained in its raised position until the requisite number of needles have been raised; a tripping camwhereby at the proper point said trigger is released and the switch up cam suffered to fall again below the level of the needle ledge; and a sorting cam yieldingly mounted and pivoted below the level of the needle ledge.

3. In a circular knitting machine, a movable switch up cam; a trigger by which said cam is caught and held in its raised position; a pivoted lever, the arms of which reach around to opposite sides of the cam cylinder; one arm of which carries a cam incline whereby the switch up cam is raised, and the other arm of which carries a tripping cam whereby the trigger is released; and a yielding sorting cam pivoted below the needle ledge.

4. In a knitting machine a movable switch up cam, with means for maintaining it in either its raised or lowered position; and a yielding sorting cam pivoted below the needle ledge and following said switch up cam, the apex of which is directed l cicntly towards said switch up cam, and which by its act of yielding raises its apex sufficiently to throw the needle butt which caused it to yield into contact with its depressing cam surface.

5. In combination with a switch up cam for a knitting machine, a yielding sorting cam pivoted upon a radial pivot on the outside of the cam cylinder below the needle ledge and carrying within the plane of the needle butts a sorting cam, having two needle guiding surfaces, the apex ol said cam being directed towards the switch up cam in a plane between the extreme planes of the action of said switch up cam, the pivotal point of said yielding sorting cam being so situated that when it yields the vertical plane of its apex changes suffito throw the butt of the needles whose contact caused it to yield, into engagement with one of its cam surfaces.

6. In a circular knitting machine, a cam cylinder provided with a notch; an arm pWotcd on the exterior of said cam cylinder; and a triangular sorting cam mounted upon said arm and extending into the plane of the needle butts through such notch in the cam cylinder in testimony whereol, we have hereunto signed our names, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this 12th day ol January, 1906.

JOHN B. PAXTON. ELIAS I ()NEllili.

\Vitnesscs Janus ll. BELL, E. Ii. FULLEH'IUN. 

